Friday, 25 January 2013

Leeds SWSS Statement

Leeds University SWSS
condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the recent handling of very serious
accusations against a leading member of the SWP Central Committee. We are also
extremely disappointed that SWP national conference voted to ratify the decision
and process of the Disputes Committee responsible for the investigation.

As many people will have seen from the recent
leaked transcript of SWP conference, the conduct of the Disputes Committee fell
far short of what should be expected in a socialist organisation committed to
ending women's oppression. Questions regarding sexual history and drinking
patterns would be rightly condemned as sexist if asked within a bourgeois court
of law – it is therefore completely unacceptable that socialists should
consider this a reasonable line of questioning. Coupled with the effective
sacking from the SWP national office of one of the women that brought forward
the accusation, and the expulsions of four comrades for attempting to ensure
the issue was dealt with, the whole behaviour of the party's leading bodies
suggest a worrying departure from the best practices and traditions of our
movement.

What has also has been deeply worrying is the
attitude that has been taken towards younger members and students raising
legitimate concerns. It seems an atmosphere of intimidation has been allowed to
develop in which young members are viewed with suspicion and treated as such.
Accusations of 'autonomism' and 'feminism' (not that feminist should be an
insult!) have done nothing to clarify political positions, instead create a
culture where members feel unable to raise disagreements. It seems this
paranoid approach has extended to the national office, where full-time workers
with disagreements over the Dispute Committee proceedings have been moved
department under the pretext of “factionalising” amongst students, or worse
removed from their position entirely. This kind of internal culture is opposite
of the kind which should exist within a healthy revolutionary organisation.

Leeds University SWSS would like to re-affirm
its commitment to fighting sexism within society and its desire to continue to
work alongside activists, feminists and militant anti-sexists in that struggle.
There is a global movement developing that is challenging the sexist,
rape-apologist culture of capitalist society and the economic system that
underpins it. We believe revolutionary socialists should be proud to take a
leading role in that fight.